“Kirby Smart talks Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman before Sugar Bowl game”

When Notre Dame and Georgia meet in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day, it will be a battle based on physicality.

Georgia has been one of the favorites in college football in recent years, winning national championships in both 2021 and 2022. The Bulldogs just won an SEC championship and are the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff.

Kirby Smart has led Georgia since 2016 and has taken the Georgia program from very successful to nothing short of great. Smart spent time this week talking about Notre Dame’s physicality and Marcus Freeman’s rapid rise through the coaching ranks.

Kirby Smart on the Notre Dame vs. Georgia matchups in 2017 and 2019

“I don’t remember them as a team; “The games obviously stand out,” Smart said. “Both one result, fourth quarter, really physical games. You know, the physicality that I see when I watch Notre Dame play is pretty incredible. On both sides. The way they play, the style of play they have.”

Kirby Smart scouts Notre Dame football team before Sugar Bowl

“…this is a really good, solid, fundamentally sound quarterback who doesn’t beat himself, plays good defense, has great defense and is really physical on the lines of scrimmage, and they got a really athletic quarterback.” said Smart Riley Leonard of Notre Dame. “There’s a reason they’re at the point in the season they’re at.”

Kirby Smart on Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman

“He’s been an up-and-comer for a long time,” Smart said. “And to get this job, I mean, the national exposure, the national brand of Notre Dame is really incredible. And that at this age he takes it on, manages it, succeeds and gets through really difficult times. I mean, being a head coach isn’t without criticism, but to do it at Notre Dame at this age is pretty special. And he obviously did a great job. He has great presence and confidence.”

Current betting odds for Notre Dame vs. Georgia

Current Sugar Bowl betting odds courtesy of FanDuel:

Point distribution: Georgia -1.5
Overall: 44.5
MoneyLine: Georgia -128, Notre Dame +106